Family
by theuselesswriter
Summary: Naruto never had it easy. Ignored and alone his early years were a terrible hell. How would have his life turned around if, earlier in his ninja days, he had known to be loved?


Hi there new reader, as you can guess from my presence here I don't own Naruto. If you enjoy this story, let me know.

**FAMILY**

**CHAPTER 1:**

**WILL**

"I don't think I like it, Minato."

"Kushina, you? Superstitious? Such things should be beneath my beautiful wife."

"Would please stop with this beautiful wife bullshit!"

"But I like calling you my beautiful wife, you get all flustered."

"I know that I get flustered, idiotic husband... that's why I want you to stop!"

While she calmed down, or while she decided if it was worth to punch Minato in the face, her husband was laughing on the floor. Around him two libraries, one full with scrolls and books; the other empty. That there was a library or a floor or a room or air was nothing short of amazing.

Her Uzumaki knowledge was worth nothing in front of what Minato could do with seals; she could use them in a fight and could modify them with ease. But the young Hokage could do things with them that would have the best artisans of the days of Uzushiogakure past scream with glee.

The man had inscribed the seals, at night so to not be discovered, into the right eye of his own sculpture at the side of the Hokage Mountain, modifying the seal used by the Nidaime Hokage to create space-time barriers. Instead of opening a path to a place miles away they opened it to the inside of the head, hollow thanks to another set of seals that had moved the huge piece of rocks to an empty training field, where now only dust could be find.

Some elemental ninjutsu made sure that the structure was solid enough to not collapse into itself with the passage of time. Another seal, triggered by the one that allowed them to get in, was used to put in enough air to breath with ease for at least a day.

And, if you didn't know they were there, spotting those seals was damn hard. Or at least Kushina hadn't be able to see them at first glance, while walking on the side of the mountain. If she hadn't see them, well, nobody would see them. Especially from the ground.

"It seems a bad omen, Minato... to prepare so carefully for our own death."

Minato got up, hugged her and kissed her on the top of her hair.

"We are not invincible and we are not eternal. This isn't for us, you know that, it's for him or her; and for those that will follow." He said while putting a hand on the small bump in her midsection.

"We should be there for them, Minato!"

"And we will. We will."

"Why this, then? Why prepare this huge... tomb."

Minato Namikaze looked around this room he had carefully prepared, and the library full of everything that had ever mattered to him; from his favorite books to his most powerful techniques. He could see the small diary Jiraya-sensei gifted him when he thought his student needed, in his words, "to put your own head out of your ass and start thinking about others a bit more". And, grasping what he was feeling with sudden clarity he started to explain it to his wife.

"I am an orphan, Kushina."

"You pulled the 'I am an orphan' card already, you're not allowed until next year."

"Last time I used it to make you bake a cake... this is serious. As I was saying: I am an orphan, and the deepest pain was to not know. Who were my parents? Did they love me? Did they leave me? Why? Why? Why?"

"Minato..."

He was pacing around the small room, endlessly. Again and again.

"You know who my parents were, but I am over it. Don't worry. I have you, and our child will join us soon. Hell, I had Jiraya-sensei to help me.."

"Don't use the card 'my parents were bastards' either. One word: lingerie."

"You won't let me swallow myself in self pity, won't you?", Minato said while, almost silently, chuckling.

"Never. It was actually part of my wedding vows. I take my promises very seriously."

"I know."

"And we promised together to be there for him or her, no matter what!"

"I know. And we will... But if we won't...", he ducked her punch, "he will know that we love him."

It was a smart idea, and Kushina was suddenly in love with letting his unborn child everything about them. Far ahead in the future for him or her this room would mean the world, and their line of work was dangerous... So it was a smiling Kushina that said:

"What do I have do bring?"

"Everything, everything you want to pass on him. Your diaries of your teenager years, the books you like, a draw of when you where a child... Everything. Nothing on this world would make our child think that we abandoned him. I was thinking of writing some letters..."

"I will help you, Minato. But", she shoved one of her fingers right in his face, "this our last, last, last resort! Don't ever think on going down easily just because you left a bunch of letters behind!"

He kissed her tenderly and whispered in her ear: "Why will I? I have a beautiful wife home."

Their consequent chase trough the Village ended only half a day later.

* * *

_Thirteen years later._

It was a good day to be Uzumaki Naruto. Growing up he had his fair share of trouble, and being what he was, the jailer of the Kyuubi, usually assured him some sort of unhappiness in most of his day to day activities.

But his life was finally turning over a new leaf. Leaf that was shining in his newly acquired forehead protector. Since what happened the night before the piece of metal meant to him more than the genin status that came with it. After discovering the reason behind the hate and the fear of his fellow citizens he was left empty and utterly alone. A feeling that almost swallowed him and would have led him to some pretty bad decisions, if not for Umino Iruka.

His sensei's heartfelt words had been to Naruto what water was to a thirsty man. So what? The Fox in his gut would not stop him, he was Uzumaki Naruto and he would be the Hokage! Fear and hate be damned.

He was almost glad to Mizuki. Not knowing had been far worse than the truth, but now that he knew the reason behind every glare and every mockery he felt, in some way, relieved. He was Uzumaki Naruto, proud ninja of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and they would see him for what he was, not for what he had been forced to contain. Believe it!

So it was very happy genin that went to the Hokage, that had summoned him to speak about the events of the night.

The Hokage himself was very proud of Naruto, he took the news with ease, all thing considered, and didn't turn on the Village. He didn't even scream or ask why, but it was his right to now and Sarutobi was set on telling him.

Maybe it was not the right time to tell Naruto about his parentage, maybe it would open old wounds with Iwa and Kumo and Kiri that ought to be closed forever, but he had already failed Minato once, he would not fail him twice.

For all his power as the Hokage the wish of his predecessor-successor to have Naruto seen as a hero had been just that, a wish. But his will, the will that he had read almost every day for all Naruto's life, stated clearly that the boy was to receive his inheritance when he became a genin, and legally an adult, or reached his seventeen year of life.

Naruto would not have his parent's worldy possessions. He would not receive Minato and Kushina's home, if he started living there someone would surely connect the dots. But Minato, god bless him, had left something more valuable behind; something that would heal Naruto's wounds like nothing else.

Protecting him against his father's enemies was not worth the pain he had been forced to endure. He would need to be careful, and not reveal this information under almost any circumstances, but how he was dealing with the Fox spoke of common sense and maturity few would suspect in him.

He had waited until Naruto was ready to learn this information. Until he could take joy in having a family without feeling the need to reveal to the world his heritage just to bask in the glory that would come from the Village thanks to, quite simply, being his father's son. The Hokage was sure that Naruto wasn't searching for easy acceptance and mirrored glory and that, like in many occasions during the years, the young man won't let him down.

"Old Man! That stuff will kill you, you know?", the musings of the Hokage were interrupted by the very genin this musings were about.

"Smoking is not the most dangerous foe I have fought nor will it be the last, Naruto. Let an old man enjoy a guilty pleasure, I think I deserve it."

The old man was smiling, but he put his pipe down and started to prepare himself for the most serious discussion he had had in while. He indicated a chair to Naruto and started talking.

"Naruto, how are you?"

"Kinda happy, I guess..."

This was not the answers Hiruzen expected. Last night there had been only the time to assure Naruto that he was not in any way the Kyuubi but, maybe because he tapped into the Bijuu's chakra, the freshly promoted genin fell asleep on the spot, before either of them could enter more pressing matters.

Hiruzen knew that Naruto took the news in stride, but happiness was not the sort of reaction someone would have after being told to house a demon so strong to level a Village in one night. The clueless face of the Hokage must have been obvious even to the socially inept boy in front of him, because he started explaining himself without the need of further inquiries.

"I guess it's more easy to deal with people now, Old Man. Before I didn't know why they hated me, now I only have to be so awesome that they see me for me, and not for the fox. I am not totally okay with it... having this thing in my gut is..."

Words started to fail him and the young man started to do wide gestures in the air, trying to explain with them what he could not tell with spoken language. Luckily the Professor was a man with more experience than practically anyone else, both in the ninja arts and with people. So he understood.

"The Fox is scary and dangerous, and you don't know what to do. That's quite normal, but you will not be alone in this: your sensei will help you. I will help you. The Village owes you at least that for your sacrifice. But don't you have any questions?"

"Not really."

"Not even 'Why me'?"

"I guess it's because I am an orphan... I was just a random baby born the right day..."

"Naruto I didn't call you here today only for discussing the Seal, I called you because I owe you an apology. I do know who your parents were..."

The boy face settled on a blank slate, before rapidly reddening with rage. The Hokage however put a calming hand in front of him and started talking once again, before the genin could speak his mind.

"Your anger is understandable and just, Naruto. Let me tell my tale, and then be angry with me to your heart's content... Keeping this secret from you isn't something I decided as Sarutobi Hiruzen, a man that loves you like a son, I decided it as the Hokage of Konoha. You will hear what your Hokage as to say."

"The reasons why I didn't tell you before are numerous. The Kyuubi in itself makes you a target, both from other Villages, that would like to have its power from themselves, and from leaf shinobi with a grudge. As your encounter with Mizuki yesterday proves. I would have liked your status as the container to be a secret, but it was already well known the night of the Kyuubi attack... The only thing I could do was to make it a secret, with death as punishment for revealing it. I hoped that by doing this you would be protected by external threats, and at least in that I succeeded, and you would be able to enjoy a normal childhood. In that I failed."

"The risks you would have to face for your status as the container are bigger than you can imagine, and I wanted you to live your early years without that burden on your shoulders... And now I see myself proven wrong once again. You have dealt with the news of the Kyuubi very well, showing both maturity and wisdom beyond your age. You made me proud."

"The reasons I didn't tell anyone of your parentage are similar. I didn't tell you to protect you and Konoha from attacks with the only purpose to harm you, for your parents were ninja well known and with many enemies. Enemies that would love to get their hands on their child. As for why I didn't tell you, you specifically, the reason is simple: I didn't think you were ready. I have a suspicion that you would have, sooner than later, told someone... And the secret would have been out, and you would have put yourself and Konoha in danger."

"I did what an Hokage should do in such cases, I put Konoha's needs before my personal gain... Because seeing you happy would have made me happy, but it was not to be. It pained me to lie to you again and again, but I don't regret it. It was the right choice at that moment. Do you understand my reasoning?"

Naruto looked down for a few moments and breathed deeply, trying to get himself and his emotions under control. He felt like when Mizuki had told him about the Fox, betrayed and alone but he could understand why the Hokage had lied to him. He did it with the Village's needs in mind, he could accept that.

"Yeah, I can see why you lied Old Man. I don't like it, and I think that if you told me that I mustn't tell about my parents to anyone... I think that I wouldn't have told anyone, because I trusted you..."

The Hokage had just enough time to felt sad before Naruto, the young genin that had been a pillar of hope during his second reign as Hokage, the young genin that didn't trust him anymore, surprised him once again.

"Screw that, Old Man. If you consider me a grandson, I consider you my granddad. Of course I trust you... You, before Iruka-sensei, before Ayame-nee and Teuchi-jiji... you have been my first friend. If you didn't think I shouldn't have known before, probably it was better for everybody. But why are you telling me now?"

"Because Naruto you have shown wisdom and maturity after discovering the truth about the Kyuubi. You have reacted like a proud ninja of Konoha and I am sure, now, that knowing about your parents won't put you or Konoha in danger... or at least in more danger. Let's say than now isn't only Sarutobi Hiruzen that trusts you, but also the Third Hokage."

"Your parents were Uzumaki Kushina, former jailer of the Kyuubi, and Namikaze Minato, our beloved Fourth Hokage."

Naruto, somehow, managed to fell off the chair he was seated on.

* * *

After having calmed down a little, and re-acquired the basic motor skills, Naruto started to spit out questions faster than the Hiruzen thought humanly possible. Having known the blond boy for all of his life he thought better than interrupt him and he endured the storm, so to speak.

He half-answered some of the questions but after ten minutes Naruto calmed down enough for Hiruzen to stir the conversations back in track.

"Now Naruto I can't tell you how your parents met each other, because I had better things to do than follow teenagers around. What I can tell you is that Kushina was called to Konoha from Uzushiogakure, a ninja Village know from its knowledge in seals and the strength of the chakra of the shinobi that lived there. She was in Konoha for taking over Uzumaki Mito, the wife of our First Hokage, as the jailer of the Kyuubi. Years later when your father and your mother were already in love with each other they, as most couples do, desired a child. But it was not to be. The Kyuubi would have escaped during the birth, killing both the mother and the child in the process. The Shodai was able to have children, as you should know from your lessons at the Academy, only thanks to a very unique set of circumstances. Sadly they didn't repeat for your parents.., "

"But I am here, that's why the Kyuubi attacked? Because they had me and it escaped from mum?"

"It may seem like the logical explanation, but the truth it's more complicated. Your father modified the seal that hold the Kyuubi at bay and, thanks to that modification, was able to create a procedure that made your mother's pregnancy as safe as any other."

"From now on I must only speak about what I deduced, because I wasn't there during that night. Most ninja weren't even aware that your mother was due that month, as a safety measure to insure that no one of your father's enemies attacked when they were most vulnerable. My wife, Biwako, was there as your mother's doctor and a few trusted ANBU were used as guards."

"When I arrived there I found you, with a seal on your stomach and your..."

The Hokage eyes started to look at something Naruto could not see, and the Hokage became sadder. Naruto guessed, rightly so, that that was the moment in which he became an orphan.

"Tell me, Old Man. I can take it, I am the future Hokage after all."

"That you are, Naruto.", Hiruzen said with a sad smile, "I found your parents dead. And the ANBU and my wife were dead too."

"I am so sorry Old Man."

Naruto sprinted around the table and tackled the Hokage in a hug. Both of them cried. The young boy for the parents he never knew and for the pain of one of the few people that loved him; the old man cried for the sheer absurdity of the world he lived in, that seemed to take everything that was pure and beautiful, like a cruel joke, and broke it. Like it did with the two loving young parents; like it did with his wife, dead just a few years before her first grandchild was born.

After awhile the Hokage recomposed and steeled himself, and after telling to do the same to Naruto, called his assistant in, asking for some overdue tea. Nothing soothed the nerves like a good cup of tea, thought the Hokage, besides a smoke obviously. But Naruto was too young for that.

The assistant brought the tea, bowed respectfully and left.

"But this is not how this story ends Naruto. The ANBU and my wife were killed by a kunai. That means that there was a ninja there... My guess is that it distracted your father from the seal procedure needed for keeping the Kyuubi at bay, and used its escape as a distraction for his own escape. I tried to track that ninja down for years, but it was only a fool's errand. Your father's sensei's, Jiraya of the Sannin, is still searching him... but it is an almost impossible task. Only the three of us, myself, Jiraya and you, know of what happened that night; and I don't think is wise to let anyone else on this secret."

"Why? If we tell the other ninja... maybe we can find him! And bring him down! He killed my parents, Old Man! I won't let him go around like nothing happened!"

"Think, Naruto. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, be the amazing young boy that you are and not rush into this. The trail is thirteen years old, that ninja was powerful enough to fight your father... You would be like a mosquito to him, easily killed. And the Village as a whole needed to focus on rebuilding, not on going on mad chase against someone we don't know anything about!"

Naruto was immediately subdued by the Hokage little speech. What could he possibly do that the Hokage could not do? He was sure that the Old Man had tried everything, he had lost someone to that man too...

"Sorry, Old Man. But I guess I just don't want to let him roam free after what he did..."

"Who says I have forgotten about him? Jiraya is searching for him, and Jiraya is the best information gatherer of the Village. I have chosen a wait and see approach. I don't think a man able to survive a battle with your father and the Kyuubi both will be easily killed... Some day he will return, and we will be ready for him. But now let's move on a brighter topic."

Sarutobi moved around some papers on his desk and took out a black scroll sealed with a red ribbon. He presented it to Naruto.

"This Naruto is your family's sealing scroll. In it you will find all the legal papers about your family... your parent's marriage certificate, your birth certificate and, most importantly, your parent's will."

Naruto took the scroll with awe in his eyes and opened it. He took out the papers and looked at them for awhile, but his eyes were almost immediately focused on the will. They had left him all they possessed, a home in the nicest part of the Village... but it wasn't what he was looking for.

"Are you okay, Naruto?"

"Yes... no... I mean it's amazing that I know who my parents were but this thing." he said pointing to the will in his right hand, "it's like... an academy test! They put the right answers, our son get this our son get that, but I wanted..."

"I am glad that you think that, because Naruto you won't be able to live in your parent's home. Sorry, but your parentage is still a secret for the rest of the Village. Only an idiot wouldn't discover it if you started living in the Fourth Hokage's home. But they left you something infinitely more precious."

Before Naruto could ask what he meant, the Hokage resealed everything inside the scroll, put it in a pocket and used a sushin. All of that faster than Naruto could possibly follow. Before the genin knew it he was standing on top of the Hokage mountain.

"Jump on, Naruto." The Hokage said pointing to his back.

"Old Man, I am too old for a piggyback ride!"

The Hokage wasn't fooling around after all, because he grabbed him with a hand and started walking down the side of the monument, stopping right in front of the right eye of the Yondaime's sculpture. He made a set of hand seals and touched the rock in front of him.

Naruto felt like he was squished trough a tube, but the sensation ended before he could quite grasp it. The Hokage let him fell down and moved with ease inside the pitch black darkness of their location. The darkness was short lived however, after Naruto heard the Old Man using a basic fire jutsu that lit a set of torches, suspend at regular intervals at the circumference of the cave.

After Naruto eyes adjusted to the light he could see two libraries filled to the brim with scrolls and books. The libraries were beside what he could only describe as an altar, decorated with an incision of strange kunai inside a whirlpool, where a book was waiting. The Old Man motioned him towards the book.

Naruto slowly moved forward, a little bit awed by the setting of the room and serious expression on the Hokage face. After opening it Naruto discovered it was a hand-made book, with a leather cover and an amateurish type of spine. He started reading.

_Dear Naruto, _

_If you are reading this it means we are dead. I hope that that happened very very far in the future. Your mother and I built this room to let you know that, in case we died before you grew up into the fine man you are sure to become (your mother wants to make clear that she is not as pessimistic as her husband, and she is sure that you will grow with your parents), we love you. We love you very much. Around you there are..._

Naruto could not read anymore, his eyes full with tears.


End file.
